47 comments:

I will start: 1-Does anyone know if the travel packet will be available at filofaxusa when the new range comes? 2-I flipped thru the pages on the UK website and it seems that the packet is more for the actual trip (games, journaling, exchanging phone #s etc) than for planning the trip. I have a "summer planning" packet from FC on personal size but would love to find something similar for A5 size. Has filofax ever made something like that?

Hi! I love my zipped Holborn (personal), but like other people, I've got problems with the rings being slightly open. I think this is due to the way the ring mechanism is attached to the leather and I think it must be the reason why it was discontinued by Filofax. One of the rings is permanently open but fortunately doesn't snag, but I notice that the top 2 rings also come open after I've opened them to put in a new week of diary pages. I only open them once per week, and I notice that they close up again after a little while (although the other ring remains permanently open). I wonder if opening the rings more often, like once or twice a day, will help the mechanism ease up, or will it make it worse?? Thanks!!

@Butenban - I noticed in a previous post you mentioned you have a quiver which I am quite interested in - did you send for it from the US? Am interested in which one you got, how long it took to arrive and what you think of it? If you would prefer to do this off Philofaxy my email is ali at alisonreeves dot co dot uk. Thanks!!! I don't have your email, otherwise I'd drop you a line.

I have only ever seen that happen to the rings if people dont use the buttons to open them, instead pulling the rings apart to open. If you have been using the buttons, then return it to filofax and they will fix it for you. It shouldnt be doing that.

@Saffy Yes I saw the Temperley filofaxes and felt slightly disappointed. They are VERY expensive, but (from what I can tell) both only have very small rings (15mm I believe). I think they are very pretty and I wish they would use these sorts of designs with standard size rings, and also in A5 size. I am a bit of an A5 girl!

It was nice to see the Temperley but I would never EVER pay that much for a filofax. My most expensive FFs are A5 Amazona and Siena which were not that hardy and I would not pay that much for a filo again. I have Mulberry and Smythson planners which were at the same price level as the Temperley but the Mulberry leather is legendary (just gets better the more you batter it and their paper is nice. The inserts are basic but so are the FF ones these days). The Smythson paper is breathtaking (lightweight, hardy. The lines are up to 1/10 of a millimetre accurate) and their workmanship is stunning. For them I would pay eyewatering prices. Not the Temperley though.

@TPS - I have an A5 Holborn (25mm rings) that works fine. Yet the A5 zipped version (30mm rings) has been widely reported as having "mech problems". The Holborn Zip is still UK listed in personal size, suggesting it may be an A5 batch problem unrelated to your rogue Holborn.

You should get yours back asap whilst a replacement is still available!

I was in a tiny Parisian papeterie last week that stocked just a few Filofaxes - one of which happened to be an A5 Holborn Zip. As this was the first time I had seen one in the flesh, I had to have a quick look inside. The mechanism looked OK but I didn't think it proper to test it a few times, as I wasn't buying!

@Alison, I agree they are lovely but I wonder how they would stand up to being used every day. I too was surprised at the 15mm ring size but with the added Flex I guess it reduces the need for diary ring space. But the price!!!??? It would be nice to see a larger range in the A5's, I am looking forward to seeing the Luxe in Purple, it is supposed to be slimline I think.

@Janet, I would love to buy a Mulberry, I have seen one in a local store that must have been there for several years as the diary is not current. The colour is lovely but the price is as you say "eyewatering". If it was reduced I would definitely buy it but not at the full price for what in my mind is old, dusty and out of date stock.My Amazona seems to be quite sturdy, have you had problems with yours?

@Janet I have a black amazona that I have been very pleased with - but did buy a red one that has shown definate signs of wear. However my black on does have an easy life - mostly it stays on my desk or I might carry it to another room - it rarely goes out!

There is a Temperley Affair binder on eBay now at £299 and with good pics if anyone is interested. I'm not - I can't afford it, wouldn't get it if I did and am waiting impatiently for my BNIB black Personal Pimlico instead!

This is way off topic, but hopefully you will all indulge me. Since the start of November I have been going to Slimming World and have lost 1.5 stone. I still have a way to go! I wanted to add some exercise to my life, but am useless at motivating myself! As the accountability of going to SW has worked so well for me I was looking for something similar for exercise.

After a lot of soul searching, I decided to do a 5K race for life. (Raising money for Cancer Research) I like the idea of raising money for charity and figure I can do this - I have 4 months to prepare. Bearing in mind I have to go from a standing start - I have zero fitness at the moment! I will do it even if I have to crawl round, but am hoping to do it in a respectable time if all goes well with the training.

Would any of you kind people consider sponsoring me? I have a page setup - http://bit.ly/y7QnSE I understand these are tough times for everyone, but if you could just spare a £1 I would be delighted! My target is £200 (which I would love to exceed!). I've never done anything like this before so don't know how easy or hard my target will be!

If anyone feels they can support me I would of course be really grateful and delighted!!!

@Alison. I absoloutely love my Quivers. They have a site which can be googled easily and they are also on Facebook, so you can e. mail the owner of the firm direct. A very helpful customer service ethic. The web site explains the size of the Quivers and the types. I ordered an A5 2 pen one for my A5Finsbury and it fits very well. It is the width of a standard ruler,aprox, measured it and it is 3.75cm, so you have to allow that amount of space between your ring mechanism and your front left pockets..... but usually there is bags of space. I ordered it from the USA and the postage adds a lot to the price, making it £18 aprox in total. BUT it is a superb product and will last a lifetime of use. It took ten days to arrive each time, so allow a fortnight. So pretty prompt. My first Quiver had some loose stiching,so I sent it back and received a complimentary second one free of charge with a replacement for the first!! No problems whatsoever with the others. High quality. I was given one for Christmas too from my dad. So I'd say go ahead and purchase. I have the 2 pen flat variety in black with red stiching, currently my favourite, a plain black (complimentary) and a brown (the replaced one). Go ahead and be enabled Alison. You will not regret this purchase I promise you.... lovely, as it takes chunky pens ie fountain pens, and means with more pens you can colour code your diary. Also my pens have never fallen out.... huge plus. Hope this helps. xx

@Alison. I have lost five and a half stone in weight over four years. I finally decided NEVER to diet ever again, but to tweak my habits, ie a healthy dinner, which I love, a lighter but yummy breakfast and lunch and NOT to fret over the occassional meal out ie with Philofaxy- fish and chips at the Tate!!! I too managed the 5k Race for Life. Half walking, half jogging. Was SO SO unfit to start with, but my dad bought me a gym membership for a year and THAT is what lost the weight, a gym and personal trainer. Good for you. You will not regret the steps towards weight loss. I still have a few stones to go and have plateaued.... but each step, even a baby step is a weight and health step in the right direction. It is lovely to be able to buy normal clothes out of normal shops, including Per Una!!! 5km is further than you think, so if it's a hot day dress lightly and take lots of water with you. I did it in just under an hour. Get the best impact ie hard surface cushioned trainers that you can, to support your ankles and cushion your knees. Oh.... and enable an exercise and diet Filofax..... The Olympic one?????? xxxx

@saffy and @alison I have a brown A5 Arizona but the edges and closure are showing definite signs of wear. I chose a colour that was less shiny though (I found the black too bling) so maybe that is why. But it showed wear quickly and I was very disappointed.

The Siena also showed wear quickly but that was described as 'antiqued leather' so I kind of expected it.

I love my Mulberry and it has really stood up well to use. I have several of their bags too and that leather is EPIC. Plus the Mulbery paper is divine. Pricey though but I have to drag my planner out of my handbag about fifteen times a day so things that I don't kill with use are few and far between. I lug my planner and my handbag up to 12km per day no kidding.

I usually buy Smythson and Mulberry duty free at Heathrow and their outgoing models are often 50%off so if you travel in December/June you can score.

I've been catching up on posts (including this one) from around mid-week last week, since which time I've been away to Somerset for three days and London for two (ending today), hence the lack of activity.

I've been back on the Filofax Facebook page following the comments last week about readers' questions being ignored (hey, nothing new there.....they've been ignoring ours for months and years), and I've come to the conclusion that Filofax now consider themselves to be purely fashion accessory manufacturers and nothing else. If they *do* consider themselves to be anything else (purveyors of time and task management aids, perish the thought?) they certainly do a *very* good job of disguising it.

The FB page has glamorous young things by the yard...no hint of a committed time manager there...toting (and promoting) insanely overpriced 'fashion' filos which add nothing to the functionality of the range, and the inserts issues continue to rank exactly where they customarily have in the FF mindset - nowhere.

I'm all for having nice things (my leather TMI binder and Malden Personal bear witness), but this really has now gone too far. I very sadly (having been a fan for 20-odd years) now have one foot through the door so far as brand loyalty is concerned. Show me someone within the FF empire who stops for even one minute a week to consider the long standing, loyal customers who have put FF where they are, and I'll reconsider.

Worst of all, this isn't even a sane busienss decision. Fashion is fickle. Personally I'm now looking forward to when the wheel turns again (diamante iPhones anyone?) leaving these hollow, useless form-over-function junkies exactly where the deserve to be.

I've got to develop a talk for a number of networking groups on time management to be delivered around Wales and the South West over the next three months. FF won't be figuring. My conscience won't run with it.

I totally agree with you David. Filofax is kind of spreading themselves a bit thin - competing on the luxury end of the market with brands like Smythson who have snob value and losing their credibility as a planner brand.

Perhaps they will be like Marks and Spencer who became complacent and lost their core market due to being so big and old they didn't think they had to listen to the customers. Then when the ship started sinking they tried unsuccessfully to rebrand themselves as a cool brand and lost their original customers? I don't think they will ever be able to claw themselves back to where they were.

I am a strange mix of computer technician and fashion journalist. I changed from digital back to paper because I found paper planning soothing and relaxing. But in the fashion market the cycles are shorter and shorter (two weeks for some of the chains) and it just causes fatigue and overload. I need a good looking for planners that work for ambitious time management.And FF ain't cutting it at the moment :(

I wonder where they are trying to pitch themselves at the moment - H and M's COS perhaps?

Now my comment looks like a slight on the fashion industry, which wasn't intended! :)

I think your phrase 'being so big and old they didn't think they had to listen to the customers' sums it up perfectly.

I also prefer paper to digital - I really do. It gives me control, ease of access, variety of perspective across a variety of different planning periods, and the TMI system has all of that in spades - it just weighs so darn much!

I don't believe FF will be able to return themselves or retrieve their loyal customer base either, and I think the comparison with M&S is entirely correct. Of *course* we want smart looking (or even uber-smart-looking) binders, but there has to be *some* functionality built in.

I have to disagree. The Filofax FB page is most likely run by a PR company to promote their latest products and to get the name out there and recognised. Whenever I have had any dealings with FF customer service itself they have been nothing other than polite, prompt and extremely helpful.

Secondly - the Temperley filofaxes are TWO binders out of the whole range. Yes, there are more fashion binders like the Swift, but surely they have to do that to appeal to the broader market? Otherwise you'll be left with 2 or 3 elegant, full leather binders which please the purists and a company going down the pan rapidly.

As long as they can retain the nicer, old-fashioned, leather binders while drumming up newer businesses with the Temperley range and the more modern Swifts, Songbirds, etc, where's the harm?!

@Babs - I think the reason some of us are so annoyed is that Filofax are dropping more and more of the 'functional' stuff and replacing with 'fashion' conscious products. I think the best example is the now very much reduced range of inserts. It's now impossible to get hold of any genuine time management inserts for the A5, and they don't even make them for the personal anymore.

@David Popely - I really think some of the day-timer inserts would suit you for use in your Malden. Very time management focused and a wide range of designs to suit everyone. Now you are back in circulation I'll be in touch.

I see more Temperley videos have appeared on YouTube, the longest being a review of the models.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWUA1ixxpgo

As a regular critic of Filofax I now take my hat off to them, a good business move and I hope it is repeated. I like the Temperley designs, partly because they are new and stylish/original, though am a bit worried about how a printed guinea fowl would look in real life. I think the Guinea model will be the better seller, but Filofax will have to sell a makeup kit to fit in one of the pockets. The Affair model looks to be the most adaptable and practical, but I suspect the first thing I’d do is lose the A5 pad and use the space for a phone and proper calculator.

There are a number of interesting new ideas included within the Filofax Temperley videos and hope that they are transferred in some part to the other models, possibly to be used for a third or fourth Temperley design.

With respect, I don't think you've properly read my email. Labelling me as 'a purist' because I object to the vacuous concentration on form alone with no attention to content isn't really helpful to the discussion. I fully accept the market is there for attractive binders aimed at a broad range (I have two *very* attractive binders myself, one FF and one from TMI). Also a number of less attractive ones! My argument is that FF aren't aiming at a broad market any more....only at the fashion-driven end - and that that is not only an insult to their historical customer-base (of which I am a member), but it's not even good business sense. You're dead right - marketing across a broad base *would* be a *great* idea, but that isn't what FF are doing, any more.

You're quite right that the FB page (along with the Twitter and most of the external communications) are now in the hands of the morally-vacant spin-doctors, who will run with any message they are paid to promote...and what a job they are doing. I note that the entire LFW Temperley launch was run by an events/PR company (they get far more credit on the FB page than do FF), and the emperor now really *does* have no clothes. Pointing this out doesn't make me a purist - it makes me someone who's not buying FF's very expensive spin, someone who runs his own business, and someone who thinks these business decisions are Very Bad Indeed.

Still, when the fashionista bandwagon has rolled on next year, we'll be left with the same crap insert range printed on poor-substitute toilet paper, and *that's* when this whole sorry episode will come home to roost. The fashionistas will be off with their diamante iPhones (or whatever) and those of us who *used* to use FF for *proper* time management will be looking elsewhere, as many of us already are. At that stage it will be goodbye to FF.

I've no objection to anyone having a good choice of well made (open to discussion there), attractive binders. I just want some content to go with the form, and some sign that FF respects all sectors of its client base.

I think it's interesting to compare Filofax's business model to that of - say - Hewlett-Packard's printer division. HP is all about the consumables. They are happy to sell the hardware at pretty much cost - even below - because people with printers will buy cartridges and toner. One printer sale generates many consumables sales.

Now, Filofax seem to have it the other way around. They charge a premium price for the hardware - the binder - and have over time narrowed the range and neglected the quality of their consumables - the paper inserts.

Given that everyone who has a binder will buy paper, but NO-ONE who DOESN'T own a binder will buy paper, they might be better advised to make their hardware more easily affordable.

On the other hand, I've never run a business of the size and type of Filofax. No doubt cleverer and more experienced people than me have considered and rejected this idea. But I do wonder why.

I would happily volunteer to be the liaison between Filofax and their customers. I agree with what has been said, and being a Franklin Covey convert, I thought I understood the concept of repeat customers and customer satisfaction. There is no doubt that Filofax makes a superior binder, but how could they allow their customers to seek fillers from other companies? I truly appreciate what Steve and Ray have done to address the needs of those of us truly interested in time management tools, and I am a little surprised that Filofax hasn't seemed to notice what's going on.

does anyone know about leather paint? anyone? some of us are trying to have a decent looking filo without spending £400i think they have the right idea with the temperley collaboration- professional women are probably their biggest growing market. I don't know why everyone is hating on them so much, if people are willing to pay then it makes sense that filofax are willing to sell.butLEATHER PAINT.. HELP

FC was and still is a very good system for time and life management based on the books First Things First and The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The system is very structured although you can use it as you wish. I used the system, them went electronic (iphone). Upon my return to paper, I somewhat got caught up in the Filofax hype. I think the happy medium is to get the stylish Filofax binder and try to fashion in the FC inserts (or, just wait for Ray to finish).

While I don't strictly follow the time management aspect of FC, I do use their inserts and love them. Between the dedicated spaces on the inserts and my color coding system, I feel that my time is much more well managed than it ever has been in the past.

Granted, their size (a bit wider than FF) prevents them from being used my more people, however, I haven't found it to be a problem in the Malden.

About time Filofax did produce a much wider, broader and higher quality set of stationery. We've been saying it for years. I agree with Ray's Hewlett Packard business model... sell the binders which are good quality, reasonably priced and last for years, so that folks keep coming back for the stationery and add on goodies.... plus customers will buy a new binder from time to time. Also think of the male customers as well as the females. I think the Temperley will be a bit of a damp squib in reality, but time will tell. As a dear friend of mine used to say.... "All fur coat and no knickers!!!!!" Very flashy and gorgeous, but too expensive and so small, even in A5, it's very far practical!! I swoon over the design of the A5 Affair model, lovely,but what a ridiculous name.... and for the function a huge NON!!!!

Hi, I'm experiencing a massive planner fail right now, and it seems to me that you posted something about moving to TMI this year. Did you do that? How is it working out? I can't find Filofax inserts that I like. I currently use a personal size hybrid arrangement that (sort of) duplicates the Time/System model, but it just isn't helping me address my goals or break them into manageable bites. I use A5 Time/System for work (in a Filofax binder), but I use it to track work projects and little else, and I want to keep it that way so that (maybe) work won't take over my life.

Anyway (tying this back into the subject at hand), I'm only considering other systems because I can't find Filofax inserts that I like. I've done FC, but I don't like the fact that the pages are too wide (OCD much?) and I don't like the DayTimer paper.

p.s. I think the Temperley binders are really pretty, and if I was Madonna or maybe even Lady Gaga, I might want one.:)

@Dollface, I've used Humbrol enamel paints successfully in the past to touch up damaged leather on boots, handbags and purses, also to paint a design on a biker jacket: gloss paints work best on patent/normal leather and matt paints are best on suede, they do a wide range and with half an eye for colour you can usually mix two or more shades to get your colour exact... they're durable and waterproof as well.

Usual cautions apply though, test an area that's less noticeable first and be aware that they're incredibly hard/impossible to get out of leather and fabric, without staining or using harsh chemicals like white spirit.

I had success using the thicker paint at the bottom of the tin (without stirring/shaking TOO much) and I also found they needed a long drying-time, and were still damageable (can't think of a better description) after they were dry to the touch - I'd give it at least 48 hours.

Modelzone are the shop I use for them, they have a big shop near Holborn with a comprehensive range of paints, or you can buy online, http://www.modelzone.co.uk/

@SSJ The answer is 'yes and no', I'm afraid. But there is much more than that to say. I certainly feel your pain! If you'd like to email me via davidpopely (at) googlemail (dot) com I'd be only too happy to drivel on at length!

Can anyone confirm for me that the pen loop on the personal size Holborn is sewn so that it lies flat AWAY from the rings (like the Kendal and the Amazona) instead of TOWARDS the rings/tabs? Much appreciated.

@Nancy - I can only speak for A5 but it'll be the same principle. On the Kendal the loops are fixed leather and are sewn so the pens stick out of the binder cover but inside the fastening strap. On the Holborn the loop is part leather/ part elastic. It is sewn onto the inside hidden pocket (about 12mm inside the A5 cover) still facing out, so the pen loop lies in the space beside the inner pocket and within the main binder cover. Pens of various sizes work well (I use a Frixion) and it is much tidier than the Kendal arrangement (in my view). Hope this is clear. Tim

@Tim Thanks so much for taking the time to respond! I THINK I understand, but not entirely... I have a Holborn Slimline and the pen loop is similar to what you describe, tucked away inside the pocket, but the way the loop is stitched to the cover, along the right edge of the loop, causes it to lay towards the tabs/rings/pocket. Can you picture what I mean?? I'm wondering if the Holborn Personal pen loop has the stitching along its left edge, so that it lays more towards the right-hand edge of the binder rather than towards the center/rings/tabs/pocket.